Tutoring Services in Queens - A New Way to Gain an Education

Tutoring Services in Queens - A New Way to Gain an EducationTutoring services in Queens, New York are making a comeback for a good reason. Times have changed dramatically for students. As our economy moves forward, it's only fitting that we continue to move our learning forward with our teachers.Many of us were all raised in the same school system and therefore spend a lot of time in the local community colleges. The difference now is that you can take advantage of tutoring services in Queens by taking classes online. This allows you to obtain the higher level of education that you deserve. You will be able to learn faster and easier than ever before.Most of us are realizing that we need to get our education up to par and this has made many people realize the value of tutoring services in Queens. We may have lost a step in the course of our careers, but we have also lost our confidence. A world of a difference can be made by enrolling in an online class.Online learning helps you to l earn at your own pace and you will never run out of things to learn or keep track of. Many will also find their work ethic and motivation increasing when they're able to continue with their studies at their own pace.Even those who have attended local community colleges can benefit from this technology. There are many ways that you can still obtain a great education that doesn't leave you feeling like a loser. The more you increase your knowledge, the higher your income potential.You can earn advanced degrees in many different fields. Some of the better paying positions today are in the areas of accounting, computer science, nursing, and others.Online tutoring is quickly becoming a highly sought after resource. Students are finding that they can earn a degree at a fraction of the cost of attending traditional colleges. Now is the time to obtain an education of any kind.

Ask an Admissions Expert Drusilla Dee Blackman

Ask an Admissions Expert Drusilla Dee Blackman Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Drusilla Dee Blackman has had a long and varied career in the field of college admissions. She is the former Dean of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid for Columbia University, as well as the former Dean of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid at Harvard Universitys School of Arts and Sciences. She has a B.S. from Brown University and an M.A. in psychology from Yale. She is the founder of The Ivy Dean. How far ahead of time should a student begin working on his or her college application? Dee: It is never too early to begin. We advise our students to begin the process at least two or three months prior to their first deadline. This provides them with sufficient time to research colleges, brainstorm ideas, and have each section of their applications reviewed by multiple individualsparticularly the essays. The key is to never procrastinate, as colleges will notice. Students should plan to submit their applications at least two weeks before the deadline. Then, if any unexpected challenges arise, or if any requirements were missed, students have a few weeks to make changes and fix mistakes. What are the best ways to go about selecting a terrific essay topic? Dee: Often, selective colleges make their final decisions based on a students essays, as many qualified students have similar grades and test scores. To pick a terrific topic, the student should start by asking, How am I different from my classmates? By searching for differences in his or her background, experiences, current activities, and future interests, the student can discover unique topic ideas. Then, the student should meet with his or her guidance counselor to discuss the list of ideas. A counselor works with dozens (if not hundreds) of college-bound students each year, and he or she will be able to offer advice on which topic is the most unique and noteworthy. Are there any essay topics you get tired of seeing or would warn students to stay away from? Dee: In my opinion, topics never get boring. Rather, it is the presentation style. While Dean of Admissions at Columbia University, I read thousands of essays that all sounded the same. Many students directly answer the question and fail to creatively include details that distinguish them from other students. Successful essays are those that are introspective. After the student selects a topic for the essay, he or she should then focus on answering three questions related to the topic: Where have I been? Who am I now? And what do I hope to accomplish in the future? This develops an insightful, compelling story. As every students personal story is different, this approach ensures that the essay is interestingregardless of the topic. What is the biggest mistake a student can make on a college application? Dee: Being vague. Students often lack depth in their essays and materials. For any application, students only have a few hundred words to stand out, and it is important to make every word count. For example, merely stating that you were the president of an organization, completed volunteer work, or participated in a sport is not enough information. Colleges want to know about the context surrounding each experience. Why did you participate in the experience? What did you learn? Did the experience impact your way of thinking? What did you accomplish? The scenarios are endless, but as long as the student answers this series of questions for each statement, the student has the best chance of standing out. What is the typical process an admissions officer goes through to evaluate applications? Dee: Each college has a unique process, but there are a few basic similarities. First, colleges check if a student can handle their academic rigor. If a student surpasses the colleges threshold for grades and test scores, then the admissions officers want to learn how he or she will contribute to their student body. This information is found within a students essays, letters of recommendation, activity and honor lists, and short-response answers, which display how a student differs from others in the applicant pool. Often, two or more admissions officers review each application. Once a majority opinion is made, the application will go to a committee for a final decision. As you can see, almost the entirety of the process is subjective; it is important to seek assistance from a teacher, counselor, or independent firm to extensively review each component of your application. Any detail may make a difference in the committees final decision. What do you think is the single most important thing a student should make sure they present in the best possible way on their application? Dee: Fit. Regardless of the specific questions, all admissions offices are (actually) seeking the answer to only one question: Is the student a good fit for our college? To properly answer this question, students must extensively research the college to learn about its curriculum focus, values, campus culture, and opportunities. Then, the student should convey how he or she will contribute to the colleges unique characteristics. How should students go about determining the culture of a university, and whether they would be a good fit? Dee: When possible, students should visit colleges to experience the campus and speak with staff, faculty, and students. College is an expensive investment, and nothing surpasses a first-hand experience to determine your fit. However, visiting a college is not always possible. For the colleges a student cannot visit, he or she should review their website, read student newspapers, and research the college from various sources to learn about the college from different perspectives. A students happiness at a college is an important determinant of academic performance and future success. Students should look past ranking, prestige, and social pressures to find colleges of genuine interest to them. In most cases, a student will naturally gravitate toward some colleges over others. Early-action, early-decision, binding/non-binding, regular decisions...With so many choices when applying, what do you recommend to students? Dee: Often, students spend a significant amount of time debating between these application types. However, in many ways, the different applications are artificial, and solely used to spread the flow of applications. Students should view them the same way. We recommend that students first finalize their college lists. We then tell students to list each college as a reach, target, or safety school. Once organized, students should then apply to at least one college from each category for the early round and spread the rest outcompleting at least one application a weekuntil the regular decision round. This results in a nice, relaxed pace throughout the process. Students should only apply to a binding option if they know with 100% certainty they would attend the college upon acceptance and want to find out their decision earlier. If not, this type of application has no other advantages. How important are grades and standardized test scores when admissions decisions are being made? Dee: Grades and test scores are very important for students to get their foot in the door. As mentioned earlier, these quantitative factors are used primarily as a baseline to determine which students can handle the colleges academic rigor. Then, the essays and other sections are used to make the final decision. Many students believe that there is a formula that consists of ones grades and test scores to determine admission, and this is simply not true. Each year, students with perfect test scores and GPAs get denied. Strong, well-written essays and supplemental materials frequently carry more weight in the process. What tips do you have for students asking their teachers for letters of recommendation? Dee: The importance of these letters is regularly overlooked. Unfortunately, many letters are useless to an admissions committee, as they are vague and lack details. To avoid this, students should carefully select the teachers who write their letters, and you should not pick a teacher solely due to a high grade in his or her class. Colleges want to learn specific details about how a student contributed to the class (to assess how the student will contribute to their campuses). Therefore, students should select teachers who can write about their specific in-class projects, presentations, papers, and other classwork. Then, the student should provide the teacher (either by email, in a letter, or in person) details regarding these in-class accomplishments to remind the teacher. This provides helpful content for the teacher to use in his or her letter. The student should take a similar approach for guidance counselors, except this summary should include a mixture of accomplishments over the students entire four years of high school, including academic highlights, prestigious extracurricular involvements, and noteworthy community contributions. Colleges look to the counselors letter to determine how well a student can balance academic and extracurricular work, while also contributing to the campus as a whole. Visit The Ivy Dean for more information. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Homework Strategies for Different Homework Types

Homework Strategies for Different Homework Types Youve heard before that theres no such thing as one-size-fits-all learning. The same is true for study and homework strategies. The responsibility factor is a big part of homework and one of its primary benefits. Homework nurtures students time management skills and their ability to complete tasks. But the primary purpose of homework is to reinforce what teachers teach in the classroom. The U.S. Department of Education describes four common types of homework: practice, preparatory, extension and integration. At Huntington, we help children of all ages become better students. Here are some of the strategies we teach for tackling different homework types: Practice Practice homework is the most common type youll see come home. It is intended to bolster classroom learning and help students master specific skills. So, just as the name implies, the key to success with this type of homework is to keep practicing. A few tips for children: Nail down the basic skills that are the underpinning for more complex skills. Learn from mistakes by going over missed class problems or test questions. Always consider homework to be required, not optional. Dig into the steps. In math, for example, children must understand the why behind steps and not just the rote how. Preparatory Like it sounds, preparatory homework introduces concepts and ideas that will be covered in class in the near future. Common preparatory homework examples include learning vocabulary or reading a textbook chapter before the content is to be discussed the next day. A few tips for children doing preparatory homework: Take notes of the main ideas of passages and bring them out when the topic is covered in class. Write down questions that arise while completing homework. Ask those questions in class the next day. If stumped on a problem (math or science, for example), circle it and write down a few reasons why the problem is confusing. Extension Extension homework is often assigned when teachers want to challenge a student with opportunities to apply what they have learned to something new. A few tips for children doing extension homework: Be resourceful, looking through notes or the textbook for strategies on how to solve a problem or additional information that might be helpful for homework completion. Think about concepts in different ways and from different angles. This helps children engage in different ways of mental processing. Take a problem-solving approach to new and unfamiliar material. Children should think about what tools and information they already have that might help them tackle a problem. Integration Integration homework requires students to apply different skills to a single task (e.g. book reports or larger projects). A few tips for children doing integration homework: Be organized and keep track of all research and information. Plan thoroughly and effectively, with milestones for multi-step projects. Here are a few best practices to make homework time more productive and successful, no matter what type of homework: Establish the spot. Consistency is important and helps children get into good homework routines. Designate a place in your home for homework, whether thats the kitchen, dining room or your childs desk in her room. Designate a time. Some children focus best right after school, while others are most alert after dinner and activities. Figure out the best time of day for homework and do your best to set and keep a schedule. Commit to organization. A homework center with the supplies your child needs to be productive helps children get to work when its time to do homework. Your child should spend a few minutes at the end of each homework session tidying it up for the next day. Spend time creating a game plan. Your child should go through his planner before starting homework to look over all assignments for the evening and rank them in order of priority. This will keep homework time on track and eliminate procrastination. Limit homework help. Resist the urge to take a lead role in your childs homework or step in to show your child how to do homework. Your child should take the initiative and assume responsibility. Make sure your role is as a supporter. Is your child stressed and struggling with homework on a daily basis? Huntington can help. Call us at 1-800 CAN LEARN to talk about how we can help your child master homework and become a stronger student.

Make no sense or have no sense

Make no sense or have no sense When can I say  have no sense  and  make no sense? Is  have no sense  ever correct? Philip Mercier (circa 1689-1760) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons When can I say  have no sense  and  make no sense? Is  have no sense  ever correct? One of my students wrote this sentence in a narrative writing assignment: I tried to explain to him that this situation just  have  no sense. Can you see what the problem is? In fact, he has made two errors in one. The first is a verb agreement error, and the second is a word choice error. The subject  this situation  is singular, and so any verb that follows it should take an -s at the end in order to make it agree. We call this kind of error a third person singular agreement error. Here is the correction for this kind of error. I tried to explain to him that this situation just  has  no sense. The second problem is a little harder for learners to fix on their own. The reason is that  you need a wide exposure to English or a  corpus  to work out the rule. Can you say  have no sense? Yes, you can say  have no sense  but not in the way my student has used it. If you check a corpus for  no sense, you get this: As you can see, there is one example of  have  no sense  in the phrase  have no sense of shame. It is less common than  make/makes/made no sense,  but it is definitely possible. In developing error detection rules for the  Virtual Writing Tutor  (the ESL grammar checker) anytime a learner submits  have no sense  or  has no sense, the system will alert the learner to the word choice error and suggest make or makes, except when followed by the word  of. Check English Grammar with the Virtual Writing Tutor Try it yourself. Copy and paste any one of the following sentences and paste it into the text area of the  Virtual Writing Tutor  to see what it says. I tried to explain to him that these situations really have no sense. I tried to explain to him that this situation really has no sense. I tried to explain to him that this situation just  have  no sense. I tried to explain to him that this situation just  has no sense. Or one of these: I tried to explain to her that he have no sense of shame. I tried to explain to her that he make no sense of shame. Please follow and like us:

Adventuring in the Farmers Market

Adventuring in the Farmer's Market Aerial Footage of the Oshkosh Farmers Market d in cities that are excellent for adventuring. While it can be relaxing to wander the streets alone, it is generally not encouraged (especially for girls) for obvious reasons. What is advised is having a venturesome group of friends to take on the city. My favorite place is the local farmer’s market. Depending on the city, the farmer’s market may be big or small, weekly or once a month. Regardless, it is an excellent place to go as a broke college kid. There are many things offered there that can’t be found in other places. First, it’s free. A person is not required to buy anything there; they can simply come to look and experience. This also makes it a great place to people watch with a cup of coffee. For the artsy folk, it can be a place to gather ideas and observe social scenes, whatever the medium used to record said art work later. While thinking about art work, it is good to have some food handy, especially if it was acquired at the place of inspiration. Secondly, the farmer’s market has decently cheap food. Food is often on the forefront of college student’s minds, and with a diet of ramen and pizza, it can get pretty boring after a while. Well, thanks to the farmer’s market, a whole new range of foods can be consumed. Foods such as fruits and vegetables may be foreign objects to most college students. However, things like cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, peaches, and of course sweet corn are now available at a reasonable price. This means not only good food, but more cooking experiments with roommates. While in search of food, socializing with the people there can also provide a valuable experience. The farmer’s market is just a good place to meet and social with people. It is a place to enjoy oneself and have fun with friends. The people there often range from new acquaintances to old friends. In the range of new acquaintances, the farmer’s market is a surprisingly good place to network with people in the future profession of your choice. For example, a person might get involved in a local food co-op or learn more about a local business that they would like to be apart of. Showing interest in the community is one of the most important things a student can do with their time at college; they never know when it might come back to help them later. From eating to socializing to just enjoying the scenery, the farmer’s market has something for everyone. It almost always offers a few new surprises, and it guarantees a lovely Saturday morning, barring of course, the chance of rain.

Tips from an Irvine Tutor Ways Tech Can Make Homework Easier - TutorNerds

Tips from an Irvine Tutor Ways Tech Can Make Homework Easier - TutorNerds 4 ways technology can make homework easier There are so many tools available to students these days that can help make their study habits more efficient and help them get past the busy work quicker so they can concentrate on real learning. Digital tools also help students stay organized and on task when they have to juggle exam prep, homework assignments, and college applications. Technology can make learning a lot more comfortable for younger students as well even when it comes to the simplest of tasks. Its a good idea for students to do some research to figure out which tools will work best for them and their individual learning needs but, there are few things that can help nearly every student its not too early to book your private Irvine tutor for the new semester. 1. Storage and archiving Many students store handwritten papers at the bottom of their backpack, desk, or study area never to be seen again. This can make a students life especially difficult when it comes time to study for midterms or finals or work on long-term homework assignments that require multiple drafts. Older students can type notes directly onto their tablet or laptop and save files instantly. This is excellent for students who are in the older grades and preparing for advanced placement classes or test prep. Younger students, who use pencil and paper for many tasks, might have difficulty transferring files unless they own expensive digital tools, but they can still make flashcards online or use voice text when theyre studying at home. 2. General organization Digital tools can be extremely helpful when it comes to general organization, especially for students in high school. Whether theyre using a general program like Google Docs or a specialized program meant for a specific class, theyll be able to find everything in one device. Its important that students save documents by date or class and give each file a unique name that has to do with the assignment so they can easily find it later on. 3. Document sharing Document sharing is one of the best tools available for todays student. Its often impossible for students to meet in person after school but they can easily work on group projects by sharing files online and allowing each member of the group to edit the group document. Students can also easily share with teachers, professors, or tutors to quickly and easily discuss potential assignments without having to get together in person (READ: Fullerton Tutoring Tips: Why Join an After-School Activity). 4. Supplemental education Digital tools are also a fantastic way to support supplemental education. There are so many students these days who need the services of a one-on-one tutor to organize and understand all of the difficult assignments they are expected to conquer. This is especially true for students in 10th through 12th grade who have lots of extra academic tasks on their plate. Whether students are meeting with a tutor online in real-time, doing research together, or going over an especially difficult topic or assignment, digital tools make supplemental education so much easier than it was even five or ten years ago. Students can work with tutors for as little as half an hour, and neither person has to get in their car and drive across town to work on an assignment. Whether a student is just starting middle school or finishing up their last year of college, digital tools can make supplemental education as easy as ever. Our private in-home Irvine academic tutors are a great resource for homework help. Call us today and well match you with one of our experienced tutors. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

Cutting Out Sugar The Myths You Need Debunked

Cutting Out Sugar The Myths You Need Debunked pixabay.com In fact, many people actually aren’t aware of how prevalent sugar is not just in candies and other sweet snacks, but in places that you might never have known it existed. For this reason, cutting sugar is a huge lifestyle choice, and one that takes extreme dedication. So, to help you out in your anti-sugar adventures and to eliminate any potential surprises down the road, here are some myths regarding sugar per NBC and the truth that you need to keep in mind. Myth: “You Don’t Have a Sugar Problem” Obviously, this isn’t true. Even if you don’t necessarily have a sweet tooth, this doesn’t mean that you aren’t enjoying loads of sugar on a daily basis. Sure, you’re avoiding the vending machine candy bar, but that’s not to say you aren’t getting the equivalent level of sugar somewhere else. Dietary Guidelines for Americans tells us that our calories intake on a daily basis should include less than 10 percent of sugar. According to blogger Rima Kleiner, we should be limiting ourselves to about 12 teaspoons of sugar a day. Yes, this may seem like a lot, but she claims that “Americans consume nearly twice that much every day.” Anyone eat yogurt in the morning? The amount of added sugars in yogurt is about 6 teaspoons, which means you’re already at half of your daily allotment just by eating a quick breakfast. And you aren’t alone. Apparently, about 75 percent of Americans are overeating when it comes to sugar. Myth: “Sugar is Easy to Spot” I wish. Apparently, sugar is actually hidden in just about everything that you eat on a daily basis. Sugar is often hidden in long lists of ingredients on a lot of the food that you eat. So you aren’t safe if you avoid drinking a sugary drink, because that granola bar in your bag is filled with sugar. According to Kleiner, “there are so many products where added sugars lurk! When people decide to limit added sugars, they know to avoid the obvious offenders, like candy, cookies and baked goods.” However, this is not going to do the trick. According to Kleiner, “Some of the biggest offenders are those that have been given a ‘healthy halo’ like flavored yogurts, granola, energy bars, cereals, flavored applesauce, bread and spreads.” Unfortunately, many products don’t come right out and say there’s added sugars. They’ll instead mention “high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, corn sweetener, molasses, syrup, fruit juice concentrates and honey,” which are all just as bad. So, as a general rule of thumb, if sugar appears within the top few ingredients, don’t eat it. According to Kleiner, “the higher up these sugars are, the more sugar the product contains.” Myth: “You Should Focus on Avoiding Certain Foods” Nope. (I know, I thought this was true, too). The truth of the matter is taking away from your diet is never going to work. Think about it, if you pack a sandwich, a granola bar and a bag of chips for lunch, and now you have to take away at least one item, you’re going to be hungry faster. The secret is to enhance your diet. According to Kleiner, “the easiest way to keep added sugar intake low is to choose minimally processed whole foods, like vegetables, fruit, whole grains, seafood, beans, nuts and seeds.” So rather than telling yourself to cut out sugar, tell yourself to add more of these foods to your diet. These foods have less sugars, and eventually, you’ll be accidently removing sugar from your diet. Myth: “You Need to Cut Back on Fruit” Have you ever had a friend tell you they don’t eat fruit because of all the sugar? Yeah, not so much. Fruit is actually something you need in your life. According to Kleiner, “yes, it’s true that fruit contains sugar, but that sugar is naturally-occurring fructose.” In other words, this is good sugar. Of course, there are other benefits to fruit, such as Vitamin C, potassium, fiber, antioxidants and other good things you aren’t really getting anywhere else. So this is yet another reason cutting sugar out completely isn’t a great mindset, as fruit may contain sugar, but the healthy nutrients it provides make its consumption a necessity. Myth: “You Have to Say Goodbye to Desserts” Again, quitting sugar cold turkey and never looking back isn’t the answer. Still, rather than binging on a chocolate when you have a sweet tooth, consider healthier alternatives that will give you that same satisfaction. And the best way to do this is to make some homemade treats for your sweet tooth and other cravings. According to Kleiner, “whether you’re looking for bread, canned soup, or yogurt, the best option is to make your own. Make your own break to control how much sugar is added, or flavor your own yogurt by adding” jam or fruit. So to recap, sugar is the enemy, but that doesn’t mean you should cut it out of your life entirely. Just know what you’re looking for, pack your diet with healthier alternatives, and you’re already on the right path!